March 11, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (March 11, 2025)—The Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan softball team (3-15 overall record) continues their non-conference action with five games slated before they open their North Star Athletic Association season.  The Trojans play a single game with in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) late Tuesday evening at North-East Sertoma Park (1250 E 19th Street).  The first pitch is set for 4 p.m. in Yankton, S.D.

Dakota State (S.D.) then play home-and-away series with Waldorf (Iowa) (0-12 overall record), former member of the North Star Athletic Association.  The Trojans play in Forest City, Iowa, for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 18, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  The doubleheader takes place at Forest City High School (206 W School Street).

The Trojans are tentatively scheduled to host their home opener on Tuesday, March 25, hosting Waldorf in a doubleheader.  The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Thue Field in downtown Madison on S Egan Ave.

Dakota State went 0-6 record during their stay in Kansas.  The Trojans were swept by Sterling (Kan.) on Feb. 28.  DSU then went 0-4 record in the Friends (Kan.) tournament, falling short to Ottawa (Kan.) and Friends (Kan.) on March 1, and Morningside (Iowa) and Bethany (Kan.) on March 2.

Mount Marty (S.D.) went 1-4 record in the tournament in Branson, Mo., from March 6-8.  The Lancers lost to Tabor (Kan.) on March 6, Friends on March 7, and Evangel (Mo.) and Kansas Wesleyan on March 8.  MMU defeated Culver-Stockton (Mo.) on March 7.  WU went winless in their Florida trip, which concluded Monday, March 10.

Next Up:  Dakota State continues their home stand on March 29-30 as they open their North Star Athletic Association play versus Valley City State (N.D.) at Thue Field.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) and Mount Marty (S.D.) faced each other twice earlier this in the Dordt (Iowa) Dome tournament.  The Lancers edged the Trojans 3-1 in the most recent meeting on Feb. 14.
+ DSU is seeking for their first win over MMU since Feb. 18, 2018, which was held in Aberdeen, S.D., in the former PC Dome.
+ Dakota State and Mount Marty are scheduled to meet on April 15 at Thue Field in Madison, S.D.
+ DSU and Waldorf (Iowa) are former members of the North Star Athletic Association.  They will play a home-and-away doubleheader, starting in Forest City, Iowa, on March 18 and return to Madison on March 25.
+ The Trojans went 3-2 record with the Warriors, with the most recent meeting at the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament in Dickinson, N.D., on May 4, 2024.  DSU defeated WU 3-1 in the NSAA home four-game series on April 20-21 at Thue Field in Madison.
+ The last time both teams played in Forest City, Iowa, was on April 2-3, 2021, where DSU earned a four-game series sweep over WU.  They played outside of Forest City, Iowa on March 24-25, 2023 in Clarion, Iowa.
+ Dakota State kicks off their season-high 10-game home stand at Thue Field on March 25 versus Waldorf.  The Trojans follow with an eight-game North Star conference home stand versus Valley City State (N.D.) on March 29-30 and Jamestown (N.D.) on April 5-6.
+ DSU's next five games scheduled are against members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
 
Noteworthy...
TROJANS VERSUS LANCERS:   Dakota State (S.D.) will be facing Mount Marty (S.D.) for the third time this season on Tuesday.  The Lancers edged the Trojans in the first two meetings held at the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.  MMU won the first meeting 7-4 on Feb. 14 and 3-1 on Feb. 21.  Both teams will be meeting again on April 15 in a doubleheader at Thue Field.  Dakota State is seeking for their first win in Yankton, S.D., since the 2012 season.

DSU FACES FORMER NSAA MEMBER:  Dakota State is facing their former North Star Athletic Association member Waldorf (Iowa) in a four-game series home-and-away, starting in Forest City, Iowa, on March 18.  They began their all-time series on March 21, 2015, with the first ten meetings held in Forest City.  The Trojans and the Warriors evened their all-time NSAA conference record at 15-15.  Dakota State was 6-4 record in the last 10 meetings, including a 3-1 record at Thue Field on April 20-21, 2024.

TROJANS IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Hannah McFarland ranks third in the North Star Athletic Association in stolen bases with nine.  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves is ninth in the conference with .380 batting average, while Jordyn Jeffries is 12tth with .354 batting average.  Michelle Evdos ranks 14th in the league with .520 slugging percentage.
 
IN THE RECORD BOOK:  Michelle Evdos is second in the DSU softball school record book in career runs batted in with 124 RBIs.  She is also fourth all-time in hits with 183 hits and leads the all-time doubles with 55.  Hannah McFarland ranks second in career runs scored with 96 runs.  She also ties for fourth all-time in stolen bases with 50.

Sterling (Kan.) sweeps Dakota State (S.D.)
Sterling, Kan. (Feb. 28, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) played their first outdoor contests at Sterling (Kan.) Softball Complex, but was swept by the host team in the non-conference doubleheader.

The Warriors held the Trojans to no hits in the first game of the doubleheader, cruising to a 17-0 victory in five innings.  Sterling opened the first inning with two runs and scored 12 runs in the bottom second to secure the victory.

Sterling used a fast start in the second game, scoring five runs in the first inning and added a run in the bottom second for a 6-0 lead.  The Warriors plated four runs in the bottom fourth before the Trojans snapping their scoring drought in the top fifth. 

Dakota State scored twice in the top fifth inning with an RBI sacrifice fly from Gabrielle Ortega-Alves to score Brenly Goebel.  The Trojans added a run caused by the Warriors' defensive error.

Jordyn Jeffries was 2-of-3 at the plate for Dakota State.  Michelle Evdos added a hit and an RBI.  Ortega-Alves collected an RBI.  Goebel had a hit and a run scored.  Analica Burgos took the setback in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  Maycee Bricker tossed a scoreless third inning,  Mason Usselman also pitched in relief.

Trojans drop pair of games to KCAC opponents
Wichita, Kan. (March 1, 2025)— Dakota State (S.D.) dropped a pair of games to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foes on the first day of the Friends (Kan.) Tournament at Two Rivers Youth Complex.

The Trojans fell short to Ottawa (Kan.) 9-3, despite Braves' six-run offensive outburst in the final inning to break a 3-3 tie.

Mason Usselman led the Trojans with two hits.  Hannah Feser added a hit and two RBIs.  Torrence Clelland and Michelle Evdos each had a hit.

DSU fell to the host team Friends in the second game 11-3.  The Trojans took the first lead of the game in the top sixth inning but could not overcome FU's three runs production in the first and second innings. 

Jordyn Jeffries had a double, single, and scored twice for Dakota State.  Clelland added a single and an RBI.  Hannah McFarland had a double and an RBI.  Brenley Goebel had a single.  Mason Usselman, Makenna McGee, and Analicia Burgos pitched in the circle for Dakota State.

DSU falls to Morningside (Iowa), Bethany (Kan.)
Wichita, Kan. (March 2, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) dropped a pair of softball contests on the second day of the Friends (Kan.) Invitational at Two Rivers Youth Complex.

The Trojans fell to Morningside (Iowa), despite holding a 7-5 lead before entering the bottom half of the seventh inning.  The Mustangs scored three runs in the final inning to secure an 8-7 victory.

Five DSU players registered multi-hit games, led by Hannah McFarland with three hits (two doubles).  Quincy Hartley added a home run, single, and RBI.  Jordyn Jeffries, Gabrielle Ortega-Alves, and Michelle Evdos each had two hits.  Evdos tallied two RBIs.

Dakota State concluded their preseason tournament schedule with a 17-1 defeat to Bethany (Kan.).  McFarland and Hartley each recorded two hits in the game.  McFarland had an RBI and a stolen base.

2025 Dakota State Softball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Hannah McFarland—19 hits

· Batting Average:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—.380 batting average (19-of-50 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—.509 slugging percentage (9 singles, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Michelle Evdos, Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—10 runs batted in (RBIs)

· Doubles:  Hannah McFarland—9 doubles

· Triples:  Lara Dolezal, Jordyn Jeffries, Michelle Evdos—1 triple

· Home Runs:  Michelle Evdos, Quincy Hartley—1 home run

· Total Bases:  Hannah McFarland—29 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Hannah McFarland—16 runs

· Walks:  Jordyn Jeffries—6 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Hannah Feser—2 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Hannah McFarland—9 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Jordyn Jeffries—.426 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Maycee Bricker—44 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Maycee Bricker—7.32 ERA

· Strikeouts (Pitching):  Maycee Bricker—21 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):  N/A

· Wins:  Maycee Bricker—2 wins

· Saves:  Maycee Bricker—1 save

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